Changes
by MissM789
Summary: Nicole Walker and Eric Brady cross paths again after almost a decade.


**A/N: This is just a little fanfic about Nicole Walker & Eric Brady. I know its not great but I hope you enjoy reading it anyway...**

**CHANGES**

Chapter 1

Nicole Walker's life had been rapidly falling apart over the past year. There was her miscarriage, followed by everyone finding out about her stealing and raising Sami Brady's baby as her own. She ended up doing jail time for that incident. When she got out of jail, she had been determined to prove to everyone, especially Brady Black, that she was a better person. Brady was there for her whenever she needed him most but she had been foolish to marry EJ Dimera and think that she could have lived happily ever after.

However, Brady had moved on and was engaged to Arianna Hernandez. At first Nicole tried to accept his decision but it wasn't long before she was back to her old scheming self. She finally managed to get Brady by framing Arianna for the recent muggings but EJ was onto her. Afraid that EJ had proof of her guilt; Nicole broke into the Dimera mansion. Although she found out that EJ didn't have anything incriminating against her, she discovered something more disturbing. EJ was the mastermind of the kidnapping of his own daughter, Sydney, and had done it just to get revenge on Sami. Nicole recorded the conversation and then used it to blackmail EJ. That turned out to be another one of her stupid decisions because when she lied to Brady about the millions she suddenly acquired, he left her for good.

While drowning her sorrows, she was conned by FBI agent Rafe Hernandez and he found the recording about EJ. Rafe then exposed EJ and even though Rafe had got Nicole FBI protection, she still feared for her life. No doubt about it, EJ came after her but she was saved by Dr Daniel Jonas. Nicole was about to leave Salem and disappear before EJ came after her again, when Daniel informed her that EJ had been shot...

Chapter 2

Eric Brady was on a flight to Salem. It had been years since he left his hometown to get away from all the drama of his family. Although he now lived in Colorado, he was regularly updated on the latest from Salem through his parents and his twin sister, Sami. He could not ignore the latest news he got from Salem and hopped onto the first flight to Salem to be with his family.

Eric was greeted at the airport by his stepbrother, Brady. On the way to the Brady Pub, Brady confirmed everything Eric had heard from his grandmother, Caroline, about what EJ had done to Sami.

At the pub, Eric was welcomed by some of his family and friends.

"Oh Eric, I'm so glad to see you. I've missed you so much," said Caroline Brady.

"I missed you too, Grandma. I'm sorry I couldn't make it to Grandpa Shawn's funeral."

"It's ok, I understand. He knew how much you loved him," she replied.

"Eric! Come give your old man a hug," interrupted Roman Brady.

"Dad, it's so good to see you again," replied Eric, as he hugged his father.

Eric looked around the pub to see if Sami was around. Roman guessed who Eric was searching for, and told him that Sami was at the police station for questioning.

A shocked Eric asked, "Questioning for what?"

"EJ Dimera's shooting," his father answered, "Don't worry, Sami was with Rafe the whole night but it's routine for us to question her, especially after all the hell EJ put her through."

"I wish I had shot that monster! How could he let Sami think her baby had died and now profess to love her," said Eric furiously, "He can rot in hell for all I care!"

"I know how you feel son; almost everyone in Salem feels the same way. Look, I got to head back to the station. Your uncle Bo is handling the case and I want to help him wrap this thing up fast so we can put finally put this nightmare behind us. I'll catch up with you later," said Roman and he then left.

After catching up with a few other people, Eric headed upstairs and got settled into his room at the pub. It was only a few hours since he arrived back in Salem but it almost felt like he never left.

Chapter 3

Just like Sami, Nicole was at the Salem PD being questioned about her whereabouts the night EJ had been shot. She had an airtight alibi in her FBI bodyguard as well as her best friend Chloe Lane and Daniel. She had been staying with Chloe and Daniel the past few days and once they vouched for her, Nicole was free to go.

On her way out of the police station, Nicole ran into Sami and Rafe. Expecting to be attacked by Sami for not telling the truth about what EJ had done, Nicole was shocked when Sami actually had a civil conversation with her.

"Nicole Walker, just the person I wanted to talk to," said Sami.

Knowing that it was better to get this over and done with, Nicole greeted Sami and Rafe.

"I'm really sorry about what I did Sami but I can't take it back. So whatever you want to say to me, just give it to me. I deserve it," said Nicole.

Sami glared at Nicole and then calmly said, "What you did was despicable, especially since I know that despite everything you still love Sydney. When I first found out, I wanted nothing more than to kill you but I've had plenty of time to think about things. Both of us have been hurt by EJ Dimera and because of him, we have done stupid things in our lives. After everything we've been through lately, I just want to put everything behind me and focus on my kids and family. So right now I'm willing to call a truce with you so that we can both move on.

Nicole digested everything that Sami had just said and she accepted the truce. It was a lot more than she would have ever expected and she took as a sign that she still had a chance to change her life around.

Chapter 4

It's been a week since Eric came to Salem. He was now up to speed on just about everything going on in town. He was glad to see that Sami was happy now that she was engaged to a great guy like Rafe but he could sense that something was still bothering his twin. He knew it had something to do with EJ but he couldn't get her to talk about it. What he didn't know was that Sami was the one who had actually shot EJ after Kate Roberts Dimera called her and told her of EJ's plan of running away with her children. The only person who knew was Rafe, when Sami couldn't handle lying to him anymore. She was relieved when EJ finally woke up and remembered nothing about the shooting.

That evening Eric headed Chez Rouge to have dinner with his father and Bo. Maggie Horton showed him to a table and he browsed through a menu while waiting for his dad. A familiar voice soon caught his attention.

"Excuse me sir, are you ready to order something to drink?"

Eric looked up at the waitress in shock and she had a similar expression on her face.

"E...Eric?" gasped Nicole.

"Hello Nicole. Fancy meeting you here like this," said Eric after he recovered from his shock.

He could tell that she was also recalling the time when they first met when she was a waitress at Java Cafe. It hadn't taken him long to fall in love with the beautiful blonde and he was heartbroken when she left him to marry Lucas Roberts. Although they eventually got back together, it wasn't long before they split again and Eric left Salem.

Now after almost a decade they meet again. Both could feel the familiar attraction that drew them together but Eric quickly remembered all the trouble Nicole had caused for his siblings, Brady and Sami.

Nicole saw how quickly the look in Eric's eye turned from love to anger and she couldn't blame him. So to spare herself any more heartfelt trips down memory lane, she pulled herself together and excused herself to change tables with another waiter. Eric watched her leave with a small twinge of regret at the unspoken words between them.

Nicole had taken up the job at Chez Rouge a few days ago. Philip Kiriakis had fired her from her reporter's job at Titan when he learned about her blackmailing EJ. Although Maggie Horton, owner of Chez Rouge, didn't like Nicole, she eventually gave her a job after seeing how desperate she was. Throughout the evening, Nicole couldn't help glancing over at Eric. She never thought she would see him again after he left Salem. He was still just as handsome and all those feelings for him that she thought she had buried forever were resurfacing. After all he was the first man she truly loved.

Eric was glad to get his mind off of Nicole when Roman and Bo arrived. Eric asked Bo about his estranged wife, Hope, who was serving out a prison sentence for her part in the recent muggings. Although Bo was now with Carly, Eric could see how much his uncle still loved Hope. The trio then discussed EJ's shooting. When Bo left, Roman asked his son what his plans were for the future. Eric informed his father that he was moving back to Salem. Roman was glad and then asked his son about Nicole. Roman had seen Eric watching Nicole throughout dinner and he knew that his son had never really stopped loving her.

"So what about Nicole?" asked Roman.

"What about Nicole?"

"I'm not blind son. I saw the way you kept looking at her tonight. You still have feelings for her."

Eric shifted uncomfortably in his seat and then said to his dad, "It doesn't matter anymore. After all the stuff she did to Sami, I don't know who she is anymore. Don't forget how many times she broke Brady's heart, just like she did to me all those years ago. Even though part of me will always love her, I don't think we will ever be together again."

As much as he didn't like Nicole, Roman knew that his son will eventually get tangled up in her web again despite what Eric just said. It was only a matter of time...

Chapter 5

Eric had moved into his new apartment building only to discover that Nicole was moving into the apartment right across from him. After exchanging awkward greetings, they both continued to move their stuff into their respective apartments. After Eric had settled in, he decided it was finally time to clear the air with Nicole, so he knocked on her apartment door. There was no answer and he was about to return to his place when he saw Nicole stepping out of the elevator, struggling to carry two big boxes.

"Here let me give you a hand with those," said Eric as he took one of the boxes from her.

Nicole thanked him and once they put the boxes in her apartment, he turned around and looked at her properly for the first time in years. Although she was older, she was still as beautiful as the time they first met.

"Uh, I saw you at my door just now, was there something you needed?" asked Nicole.

Snapping back to reality, Eric remembered why he was there in the first place.

"Actually I came over to see if we could talk. Since we're going to be neighbours, it will be hard to avoid each other from now on," he said.

"Yeah, I was thinking about that. So have a seat while I make us some coffee," she replied.

Eric sat on one of the couches and she soon joined him with their coffee.

Unable to stand the silence anymore, Nicole was the first to speak.

"You probably hate me these days. I could tell from the look in your eyes when we met that night at Chez Rouge. I'm pretty sure you've heard all the stuff I did while you were gone."

Eric looked at her thoughtfully and sighed, "I don't hate you. I just hate the things that you did, especially to my own family. I don't understand how the woman I used to know and love could do such horrible things. What happened to you Nicole?"

"Life happened to me, Eric," she softly replied, "Believe me, you have no idea how much I wish I could take back all the stupid stuff I did but I can't. All I ever wanted was to be happy and whenever my happiness was threatened, I would end up making the wrong choices and lose the people I cared about."

When Eric didn't say anything, she continued, "But I'm turning my life around now. I admit I chose money over love, not just with you, and all it got me was nothing. So now I've decided to focus on building myself up on my own strength. Look at me now, I've got myself a job, sure it doesn't pay much, but at least I can afford to get a decent place of my own. The point is, I'm trying."

"I'm happy for you, Nicole. I know you're not going to change overnight but it's good to see you're trying," said Eric.

"Thanks Eric. It means a lot coming from you. I hope that someday again, I'll be as good as the woman you knew all those years ago."

"I don't know about that but...how about we just be friends?"

Nicole never thought that she would ever hear that from him and happily accepted before he changed his mind. Eric finished his coffee and headed back to his apartment. He wasn't entirely sure if it was okay to be friends with Nicole Walker but he wanted to believe that he did the right thing. Maybe things will be different...

Chapter 6

6 MONTHS LATER...

"This is it. The day I have dreamt about for so long. God, I hope nothing ruins it this time," thought Nicole nervously.

She surveyed the church one more time. Everything was in place, the beautiful white roses lined the aisle, and guests were chattering while they waited for the ceremony to begin. Then her eyes settled on the man she loved, Eric Brady, and the some of the butterflies in her tummy settled down when he spotted her and gave her a reassuring smile.

She couldn't help thinking, "God, he looks so handsome in his black tuxedo. I can't wait for this wedding to be over so we can finally be alone."

Her thoughts were interrupted by Brady who informed her that the minister was ready to start the wedding. Nicole couldn't believe the changes that took place during the past six months of her life. Although Brady still couldn't forget all the hurtful things she did in the past, he had forgiven her to the point where they actually became friends again.

"Earth to Nicole," whispered Brady when he realised that Nicole wasn't even paying attention to him.

"What? Oh sorry Brady. I heard you the first time. Let's get this show on the road!," exclaimed Nicole as she went into action mode.

"Bridesmaids! I need you to take your places quickly. Brady, get moving to the front of the church, now!" hollered Nicole.

Finally Nicole turned to face the bride and asked, "Are you ready to do this?"

Sami Brady excitedly replied, "You bet I am. Thanks for planning my perfect wedding, partner. Going into business with you is the best decision I made in years."

Nicole remembered the day that she and Sami decided to put their past behind them and get along, especially since Eric was back with Nicole. They discovered that they had a lot in common and decided to open their own events planning company. Over the past two months, the two had organized a few corporate events and some parties with great success. Sami's wedding was the first solo project Nicole was handling and both women were pleased with the results.

Seeing that Sami was on the verge of tears just like she was, Nicole told her to forget everything and just enjoy her special day with Rafe. At that moment, the wedding march began and Roman walked Sami down the aisle. Now that her most important job was done, Nicole took her seat next to Eric and watched Sami get married to Rafe.

Nicole couldn't help picturing her own wedding to Eric. She remembered how they cautiously began dating again four months ago. Sure they had to make their way past a few stumbling blocks but they were finally in a good place in their relationship. So good in fact that Eric had proposed last night and she didn't even hesitate to say yes. They planned to announce it to their families tomorrow so that they didn't steal any glory from the bridal couple's special day.

Finally Nicole had everything she ever wanted and this time she wasn't going plot and scheme to make things go her way. Why? Because this time she didn't have to. Ever since she made changes to turn her life around, good things were naturally happening in her life. Maybe it was true what they say about karma?

Well whatever it was, Nicole sure wasn't going to complain...

THE END


End file.
